REVIEW:
Disney Animation has been on a streak of late. After snatching up two animated
feature Oscars two years in a row (Frozen
and Big Hero 6), their next attempt
had a lot to live up to (we’re not counting Pixar films, in this list, either).
Zootopia is the latest Disney
(computer) animated film to hit theaters this weekend, and it seems like the
streak might keep going.

Zootopia is the
story of a young female country rabbit named Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin)
whose only ambition in life is to become a police officer. The odds are stacked
against her, since law enforcement careers seem to be dominated by bigger,
stronger mammals (rhinos, elephants, tigers, lions, bears and other large
critters). After applying herself and graduating top of her class at the police
academy, Judy is hired on as the first bunny officer in the Zootopia Police
Department, much to the disliking of her superior officer Chief Bogo (Idris
Elba), who assigns her to parking enforcement duty. Meanwhile, several animals
(all predators) go missing without any clues. One day, Judy discovers a clue
that leads her to a conman (fox) named Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), who
reluctantly agrees to help her find out what’s behind all the disappearances.
They soon discover that the predators are being held in a secret location by
Zootopia Mayor Lionheart (J.K. Simmons) because they have all gone feral.
Despite the major discovery, Judy does not know what caused the predators to go
crazy, and she speculates that their killer instincts have something to do with
their biology. Judy’s contemplation causes a rash of fear to come over the
entire city, creating a rift between predator animals and prey. It also causes
a rift between Judy and Nick, who had been growing fond of each other during
the investigation. The fox and the bunny must overcome their fears and
differences to solve the crime and bring peace to the city once more.

Zootopia is a very
good film with a very good voice cast and pleasant message about transcending
fears and finding peace. This simple message of tolerance and seeing beyond
one’s culture or “biology” to make conscious choices is a pleasant surprise.
What’s more is that Zootopia doesn’t come
across as preachy, delivering this message with a simple and well-themed
illustration.

The quality of animation in Zootopia is equally brilliant, especially considering that almost
all of the characters are laden with fur. The script is cheerful and witty, with several
hysterical gags (the sloths working at the DMV are as funny as they are
frustrating).

So, if you want a good film for the whole family and you
want to escape to a world where you can learn a few good lessons about getting
along in this crazy world made up of people from all walks of life, take the
kids to see Zootopia. You don’t need
to worry about house-training, either.